| Knowing the system is the key to working smart, so here are 10 tips for getting the most out of your Expandable installation by staying informed: |
| 1. Use the Customer Resource Center |
| The Expandable Customer Resource Center is the single most valuable source of information about using the Expandable system. In addition to being the repository of all the Expandable user manuals, the Resource Center features special tutorials and workflows that provide role-based directions for performing specific job functions in Expandable. |
| If you don’t know your company’s login and password to the Resource Center, ask your Primary Expandable Support Contact or call Expandable customer support at (408) 247-3300. |
| Here’s some of the valuable information you’ll find in the Customer Resource Center: |
| User Documentation: The complete set of user manuals is arranged by functional area and broken into chapters with tables of contents to easily locate the information you need. These essential training documents are updated regularly to reflect the latest enhancements made to the system.
Support Notes: These tutorials from customer support are an assortment of role-based training materials covering the major functional groups in Expandable. Use these notes to identify Expandable-recommended best practices for performing common tasks like closing month end, processing RMAs, using the planning workbench, creating Favorites Menus, setting up Information Links, and much more.
WorkFlows: The Work Flows are short "how to" references that outline procedures for performing various functions within Expandable (like cost roll-ups, job scheduling and cycle counting). You can use these WorkFlows as a guide to create your own Favorites Menu items.
Technical Notes: The Technical Notes summarize and provide solutions to remedy some of the most common error messages for Expandable, SQL, FRx and Crystal Reports. Useful tips and installation information can also be found in the Technical Notes. |
| 2. Read the Release Notes |
With each new version of the software, Expandable provides a release notes document that highlights all the enhancements that have been made to the system since the previous release. The release notes document is arranged by module so you can easily navigate the changes to focus on the areas of the system that are most important to you.
Release notes going all the way back to v1.7 can be found under the Documentation section of the Expandable Customer Resource Center. |
| 3. Upgrade to the Most Current Expandable Release |
| Expandable takes pride in its “no bug” policy, which helps customers remain confident in secure and trouble-free upgrades. The majority of enhancements to the Expandable system come as a result of customer input, so it’s likely that each release contains valuable time-saving new features that will benefit your organization. By staying current with each software release and incremental checkpoints, you’re assured of taking advantage of the full breadth of product features. Releases are available through the Download section of the Customer Resource Center. |
| 4. Download the Consolidated Program Change Request (PCR) List |
| The Consolidated PCR List is a record of all the Program Changes made to the system going back to version 1.4.2 of Expandable. The list is arranged by module to make it easy to survey the changes made to specific programs, and includes the version in which the change was added, the module name, the program name, a description of the change and the related PCR number. |
| 5. Attend Training Classes |
| A little up-front investment of time can return a high reward. Be sure to take advantage of the fact that Expandable provides a free getting started class for new users of Expandable. The instructor-led Expandable training classes incorporate the latest system enhancements and are available in both online and classroom format. |
| 6. Attend Expandability |
The annual Expandable Users Conference is a great way to keep up with enhancements being made to the system – and also to learn techniques from the most experienced Expandable users. Each conference features a special session that highlights the important enhancements added in the latest release.
The conference is also a great opportunity to meet Expandable support people in person and talk one-on-one about your specific business challenges.
It’s no mystery why the most successful Expandable users are the ones who attend the conference each year. |
| 7. Ask Customer Support |
| If your process for performing certain tasks in Expandable is more complicated than you think it should be, chances are there is a better way to do it. Call the Expandable hotline to find out if there is a recommended method for performing your most important functions. The hotline number is (408) 247-3300. |
| 8. Communicate With Other Users |
| Thousands of people use Expandable every day to run their businesses, and the real-world experiences of your fellow Expandable users is one of the best resources at hand. Use the Expandability conference to make acquaintances that you can call upon throughout the year and/or join the Expandable Discussion Group on Yahoo! so you can ask questions of the group or peruse the message archives. |
| 9. Talk to Your Sales Representative |
| Expandable provides a variety of optional modules that can help you improve productivity. For instance, the Expandable upload utilities save time and reduce errors by automating the input of transaction records. Ten different uploads are available, including MPS sales forecast, part plan, price list, budgets, and GL journal vouchers. |
| 10. Read the Newsletter |
| Congratulations! The fact that you’ve made it this far in the article indicates that you already understand the value of information. We try to write the newsletter to be as informative as possible and make a point of including helpful tips and information in each issue. |
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